


Axiom

by an_aphorism



Series: Love and other chemicals [4]
Category: Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Dating, Eddie is clueless but trying, Established Relationship, Fluff, Genderless Venom, Kissing, M/M, Other, Romance, They're just so in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-14 18:21:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16497830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/an_aphorism/pseuds/an_aphorism
Summary: Romance isn't dead, Eddie is just slow to figure it out.(fourth in the series, but can stand alone)





	Axiom

**Author's Note:**

> I thought I was done, but then I saw something with Venom and fondue and it evolved into this monster. 
> 
> Maybe get a snack for this one, there are graphic depictions of food, and writing it made me hungry.

When it started, Eddie wasn’t thinking about dating. He wasn’t thinking about what they did in the bedroom, or the way Anne looked at him when the pet names for Venom slipped out. He certainly wasn’t thinking about needing to woo his darling.

Because for all intents and purposes they were already way, way past dating. They were together, committed, and far closer than anyone else on this planet could possibly be. He didn’t need to wine and dine his symbiote-cum-partner.

The thing was, he just couldn’t help himself.

Venom was still new to this planet and its wonders, and given what limited history Eddie knew of Venom’s previous world—

Well, this one sounded far superior.

It certainly had a plethora of new things for Venom to experience. Despite his Other having access to all of Eddie’s memories, Eddie considered that a pale comparison to firsthand experience. There was only one surefire way for Venom to get inoculated to their new planet, and that was to go out and see it.

And frankly Eddie wanted to see them experience everything for the first time. He wanted to make new memories of places and things that he loved with Venom. Eddie didn’t phrase it quite so saccharinely to himself, but there it was.

He bought a Bluetooth earpiece and took them out.

They learned early that Venom liked water— the bay, the koi pond at the conservatory, the many fountains dotted around San Francisco. They spent an evening sitting on a bench overlooking the bay while Venom talked about how their planet did not have water in such quantities. That water where they came from was not something you could be in, and they had never even imagined there could be places with such abundance. Venom liked the way water felt, soft and flowing. Unconstricting. Free.

It didn’t hurt that water also shielded them from the harsh atmosphere that would kill if they were without a host.

After that Eddie googled every point of interest in and around San Francisco that had to do with water. In between work and seeing Anne and Dan, he took Venom to every park and garden and trail. They had fun discovering things Eddie hadn’t even seen despite his years in the city.

Their adventures all over San Francisco evolved, of course, to include new foods.

With the phenethylmine supplement in their morning smoothies, food became more than just sustenance. They no longer experienced the ravaging hunger of their early days, and with this freedom came the chance to widen Venom’s appetites.

Eddie just frankly couldn’t eat another potato product, or he’d scream.

**Baby.** Venom mumbled from just under Eddie’s breastbone.

“You may not be sick of it, love, but I’ve had over three decades with potatoes. They’re good but humans need _variety.”_

**Humans are finicky.**

Eddie smiled and shrugged. “You’re probably right about that. But I promise there’s more foods out here for you, we just need to find them.”

**We are happy with what we have.**

“Yes, but what if you find something you like as much as chocolate? Wouldn’t you want to know?” They were heading for a sushi place now, because Eddie had a good feeling it would mesh well with Venom’s interest in raw meat.

**Not possible.**

“Uh huh.” Eddie said, taking the turn of the light to cross the street. “I think we should agree to disagree. In fact, I think we should consider that we don’t have a firm grasp on what is and isn’t possible between us.”

Venom huffed in amusement and then pushed at Eddie a memory of the previously-considered-impossible-thing they’d gotten up to the previous night.

Eddie felt heat drop straight through him as he shoved it away. “Not the time V!”

**Was just agreeing with you.** Eddie couldn’t see their face, but he was certain if he could it would have that self-satisfied grin on it.

“Being a little shit, you mean.”

Venom rumbled down the base of his spine, happy and fond. **Love you Eddie.**

“The death of me.” He muttered at the door of the restaurant.

**Never, Eddie. Will always protect.**

Then Eddie was facing the hostess and couldn’t respond. He sent back the equivalent of an affectionate elbowing and asked the hostess for his own booth.

The soup and salad did not impress the symbiote, but when they got to the sushi—

**You said we could not eat raw meat! This is raw!**

It was barely a grumble with how enraptured Venom was inside him after tasting the first bite. Eddie at several points had to still his own hand that kept slipping out of his control to shovel sushi into his mouth.

“This is special,” he said lowly, between bites. “It’s prepared to be eaten raw, so we don’t get sick.”

**We should make at home Eddie!**

Eddie pressed a hand to his heart where he imagined his Other curled up inside him. “Darling I’d love to, but sushi takes a lot of skill and prep.”

**Could we not learn?**

Eddie put another piece in his mouth, chewing slowly to savor the flavor. Venom practically rolled around inside his chest with how much they liked it.

“I guess we could. It’s just easier to buy it.”

He could feel Venom consider this while they polished off the last of the sushi.  **Okay. We will buy to eat faster.**

“Perfect. So I’ll get us a few orders to go then?”

**Eddieeeeeeee!** At the burst of happiness in his head, Eddie had to put down his chopsticks to cover the stupid grin on his face. It wouldn’t do for the waitress to come back and find him smiling like a lovesick fool in a booth by himself.

##

After that they tried Italian, Thai, and several varieties of American. Venom didn’t care for noodles, breakfast foods, soups, and salads. He did however find spicy to be fascinating.

**It hurts but we like it?**

“I think that’s the general consensus for why people eat it.”

They were currently making their way through a very large platter of jerk chicken at a Jamaican restaurant. Venom had enjoyed the beans and plantains, but the spicy meat was a standout.

**It causes some superficial damage to us. Should we fix it?**

Even without Venom saying so, already Eddie could feel the spicy sliding down his throat and into his belly. He’d never been good with hot stuff, more often than not avoided ordering anything like it if he could help it.

Admittedly it was a much more pleasant experience with Venom pulsing joy in his stomach.

“I don’t know, will it ruin the experience for you?”

**No Eddie. We already had the taste, and it was wonderful. You do not need to be in pain.**

He felt the love in those words, the softness of his Other pressed up against his insides. “Okay, then yeah, I’d love if you could fix the burn.”

Eddie finished the last of his water while Venom went quiet with their work. By the time a man came by to check on how he was doing, the burn of the food was gone. Eddie sighed back into his chair, happy and sated.

He asked the man for a large to-go order of the chicken. Venom rattled inside him, happy.

##

Eddie still hadn’t been thinking _date_ when he bought the tickets and made the reservation. He was only thinking about how _amazing_ it was going to be. How surprised Venom was going to be.

And a surprise it was going to be. He’d specifically negotiated for a two-hour block of ‘private time’ where Venom closed themselves off to rest, and Eddie researched and planned a night out.

Venom had been getting very used to the idea of creating secrets between them. They no longer thought of it as a danger, as Eddie trying to _pull away._ Instead Eddie had showed them time and time again how nice it could be to surprise each other with something.

On the night of, with Venom vibrating in anticipation but carefully keeping their mind away from Eddie’s so as not to spoil the surprise, Eddie got dressed. The plans after dinner seemed like they might require a higher dress code than his usual jeans and hoodie, so Eddie pulled his old slacks and a button up out of the back of the closet.

They were maybe a little more wrinkled than he would have liked, but standing in front of his bathroom mirror he thought he still cut a pretty decent figure.

He tidied his hair for good measure.

**Different.** Venom said when he was finished.

“I know, right? A good different I hope.”

**Good different. We look good.**

He’d been fishing, but the compliment and the resulting feelings from Venom still made him blush. He pushed back something thankful and warm.

Before Eddie could let himself dwell on his own fluttering feelings, he grabbed his keys and wallet and went down to the bike.

The drive was cold even with his leather jacket, but Venom spread out just beneath his skin to keep him from shivering. It felt like an all over hug, safe and secure. They made good time driving out of the city to where the restaurant was.

**Fondue?**

Venom read the signage of the restaurant, but Eddie felt them holding back from scouring Eddie’s memories for what the word entailed.

“Just wait.”

The reservation was for one, and although the woman who seated him looked at him questioningly, she didn’t voice it. Eddie hadn’t thought up an excuse, so that was a small blessing.

The restaurant was clearly designed for couples. The waitress sat him in a private and darkly lit booth. There was soft, barely there music playing and the sweet smell of chocolate in the air. Eddie thanked the woman, sliding off his jacket and into the booth.  

When she disappeared to give him time to look at the menu, he turned his attention inward. “So, fondue is melted cheese and chocolates, usually paired with a variety of things to dip them in. They also have meats, so don’t worry.”

**Chocolates! What kind Eddie?**

“Whatever kinds we choose. But that’s later. Help me choose some cheese to start.”

They went through the options, Eddie carefully feeding the symbiote memories or thoughts on each of the cheese to help Venom decide.

When the waitress came back they ordered two, one creamy and one sharp, and Eddie got himself a water.

**Chocolate next?**

“No darling. Meats. Then dessert.”

**Human rules are dumb. Chocolate should be first.**

Eddie grinned down at the table, his hands fiddling with the edge of the cloth napkin. “Then you’d never eat anything else.”

**Good. Everything else is stupid!** One of Venom’s tendrils snuck out to twine around his fingers. It was mostly hidden, but Eddie moved his other hand over to cover them just in case.

“That’s nonsense. You liked the sushi, and the jerk chicken.”

Venom hummed as if Eddie had made a valiant point they weren’t willing to concede. **Still. Dumb. Should have chocolate first.**

“Maybe next time love,” Eddie lifted his hand up to his mouth to kiss the black looped between his fingers.

Venom shimmered and then seeped back into his skin just as the waitress passed his booth with someone else’s food. Still, Eddie could feel the tenderness Venom was radiating. It reminded him of the sweet moments they spent in bed after sex where it was just the two of them, simple and sated.

That’s not to say the sex wasn’t _mind-blisteringly amazing_ , but this kind of thing was nice too. This was about them bonding in the real world, building memories and inside jokes, learning what they each liked independently so they could indulge in them together.

Eddie didn’t know how they could be as close as they were and still feel excited to be learning about one another, but it was true week after week.

As Venom’s excitement began to bubble over as the cheese and accoutrements were delivered to the table, Eddie had a better thought—

They were partners, and this is what partners did, build their lives together.

“What do you want to try first?” Eddie asked when the waitress disappeared.

Blackness slipped out from the skin of his hand and took the fondue fork to the fruit. **Let us try, let us try Eddie!**

Hissed to him softly in that excited way Venom only got about surprise chocolates, Eddie didn’t stand a chance. There was a tightness in his chest with the intensity of his love. His adorable, excitable darling.

He let Venom take the reins to feed him cheese fondue.

They got through all the cheese and meat before too long. Everything was utterly delicious, maybe more so for how enjoyable it was to let Venom try all the various combinations. When the coast was clear Eddie even managed to sneak a few raw bits of steak into the sharp mouth that poked out from beneath his arm.

He laughed when Venom melted back into him with a content growl.

**Dessert! Dessert! Dessert!**

Despite the amount of food they’d consumed up to now, the prospect of chocolate had not for a second escaped his Other’s attention. “Saved the best for last.”

They poured over the chocolates, practically salivating on the menu. It was hard to choose, but Eddie leaned them towards flavors they hadn’t tried before.

When the chocolates came they were a beautiful trio of dark chocolates with a platter of fruits and cakes for dipping. Eddie could feel Venom pressed right up to the edge of his skin, eager for the waitress to leave.

Eddie had never been more glad that a restaurant was built for privacy than he was now.

The moment the waitress disappeared Eddie reached out a hand and snatched the tendril heading for the middle pot of chocolate.

“Hey! That’s hot!”

**Eddieeeeeeeeee.**

The whine in his head was long and very pathetic. Eddie didn’t want to smile, but it was impossible when confronted with that pouting.

“Here, lets dip some fruit.”

A strawberry went into the Baileys chocolate first with a quick twirl for coating. He popped it into his mouth to an explosion of delight. It was _so good_ that Eddie didn’t even blame Venom for the melty, crooning noise they made in his head. Neither did he protest against the running chant for _more, more, more_ coming from his Other.

Next they tried a marshmallow with wild berry chocolate, which was excellent, and then angel food cake with peanut butter chocolate.

Eddie felt Venom’s tendrils curl around his middle, beneath his button up.

“You like that one darling?”

**Eddie. Eddie it’s so good. Can we have more?**

Eddie smiled and went back for more.

They were halfway through the sweets when Eddie figured it was safe enough to let Venom have some for themselves.

“How about you take this one.” Eddie offered, a piece of chocolate dipped cake close to his collar.

Venom didn’t argue. He slithered out from beneath Eddie’s collar and snapped up the treat, leaving a smear of chocolate on Eddie’s fingers. Eddie put the fingers in his mouth to clean them off.

Pleasure radiated from his Other.

**So tasty. Love it! Can we have fondue always, Eddie?**

Eddie had the quick thought of purchasing a fondue kit but shoved it down for later perusal. It might make a good surprise. Maybe an anniversary gift.

And wasn’t that such a thought. Eddie blushed to think of it now, as he worked his way through the last of the chocolate. He’d never been great with relationship stuff like anniversaries. Dates had always just gotten away from him when he was chasing his career.

It had been one of the many straws that had broken down his and Anne’s relationship.

But now he found himself… eager to follow through. He liked the idea of an anniversary, of surprising Venom endlessly with little things they might like.

“Fondue is another one of those difficult to make things,” Eddie said instead.

Venom huffed and then prodded his hand to bring a chocolate marshmallow close. He did so, feeling the little serpentine head appear and chomp it in one bite.  

This time Eddie offered his fingers for the tongue to clean off. It was perfect.

Eddie paid when they’d all but scraped the bowls clean of chocolate, and they headed out into the brisk air to where Eddie was parked.

Venom was quiet in that content sort of way they fell into more and more these days. There was some vague curiosity for what was next, some wondering how it could possibly be more fun than them going directly home to bed.

“Trust me,” Eddie said, and started the engine.

**Always,** Venom rumbled.

They drove back to San Francisco, weaving easily through the thin Tuesday night traffic. Eddie had chosen a Tuesday for this in the hope that the next venue would be less crowded. A Bluetooth headphone worked wonders to talk aloud to Venom, but it was infinitely easier without eavesdroppers everywhere.

Eddie pulled into the parking lot, feeling hopeful about all the empty spaces. In his head Venom perked up immediately, recognizing the conservatory they’d visited to a few weeks ago. At night there were flowers projected up onto the building. It was beautiful.

**Koi?**

Venom would remember the koi pond. They’d sat by it for some time as Venom watched the fishes with intense fascination.  

“Koi and more. The conservatory has a nighttime flower show. I thought it might be cool, so I bought us a ticket.”

**Oh?**

He could still sense Venom’s confusion on how this was different than before, but they were willing to trust Eddie. They were excited to see where this went.

“Yup. Let’s go see.”

Eddie walked up to the front entrance, past stragglers of people outside congregating and smoking, and presented his ticket. The woman in the booth thanked him and passed back a drink token and a map, pointing him in the direction of the show. They went inside.

The conservatory had gone for string lights for the event, hung high above their heads and providing just enough light to see. There were more people inside, broken up by tables and perusing the lit flower displays of the main room.

Eddie saw one of the bars set up nearest to the door and got in line.

**Pretty, Eddie.** Eddie was turning his head this way and that with Venom’s nudging to take in all the lights and flowers in the room. The flowers were backlight by colored lights or projected upon to create shifting, interesting displays. They were pretty.

When it was his turn with the bartender Eddie traded in his drink token for one of the tropical drinks on their menu, virgin. It was sweet and reminded him of the beach. Venom purred their approval.

“So let’s have a look, shall we?” Drink in hand Eddie turned away from the main room to one of the less crowded wings.

It was the same layout as last time, but the twirling and changing lights lent it a whole new air. It was cozier in the night time, more intimate. There were a few people in the room, mostly couples, but they were tucked nearly into one another, whispering quietly or silently looking at the displays. The music was soft and classical, easier to hear without the crowd.

This side did not have the pond, instead it had the miniature train set that wove around a centerpiece of flora and fauna. It too had been recast in kaleidoscope colors that drew patterns across all the uneven surfaces.

**What is this Eddie?**

Eddie moved himself further away from other people and touched at his Bluetooth to make sure it was still in place. “It’s a light show,” He tilted his head up to look at the projectors mounted near the top of the glass room. “See those are projectors, they cast the light down and make designs with it.”

**It is nice. Reminds us of water. Of being up high and seeing all the lights.**

Eddie hadn’t made those connections, but now that Venom was saying it, he agreed. “Yeah, I could see that. Huh. Cool.”

He sipped at his drink while Venom directed him closer or back down the walkway to have a better look at some of the lights. They’d picked out some of their favorite plants last time they were here, and Venom made sure to check up on each one.

**We like this. We are like all the other couples.** Venom nodded at the nearest one who were smiling at each other, leaning in to speak privately. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to tell the women were together.

Eddie had a moment of wanting to correct Venom, because they weren’t _like_ that. It was more the physical difference than anything. They were together, they were in love, but he thought of them so often as _we_ , as _one_ , that the word ‘couple’ felt poorly fitting.

**We are us. But we are still a couple, yes? Have differences. We like spicy, but Eddie does not. Eddie continues to eat green leafy nastiness despite how we hate it. We go out, have dates. A couple.**

The blush came on quickly, and Eddie walked back through the main room and to the other wing just to give his body something to do with the fizzy heat. It was patently ridiculous to still be blushing after everything he and Venom had been through. They’d has sex! Tons of it!

But Venom was right, they were dating. Like a couple. Had been for quite some time now.

Maybe very out of order considering they were practically _married_ at this point, but still.

It made Eddie feel nervous, fluttery. Like his whole heart was on display now. Like the first few times he took Anne out, trying to impress but unsure if he was hitting the right marks.

Venom and he had confessed the deepest parts of their love to each other, but this development still left him feeling afraid. It was important, Eddie could see that now, it was important to attend to his dearest, to build not just the private world of their apartment, but their outside presence too. A whole life.

“You’re right,” Eddie brought the drink to his mouth to mumble it. “I’ve been taking us out on dates.”

**Because we are a couple.**

Standing in a beautiful greenhouse full of flowers and lights, it was hardly deniable. Eddie was nicely dressed, belly full of dinner and chocolates, walking through a very romantic display with his darling. “Because we are a couple.”

**This makes Eddie nervous.**

They sat down beside the koi pond, watching the lights dance across the water. “Yeah,” Eddie said, and pushed at Venom the fears that came with dating, the discomfort of putting together such a display of love and hoping your partner liked it. Of never really knowing whether or not you were doing the right thing.

**Silly Eddie. Everything is right. We are having a wonderful time. Have had so much fun going on dates.**

Venom sent back a plethora of warm, pleasant feelings. It dazzled all of Eddie’s nerves, soothing him back down. He wished then he could kiss Venom. Could be like every other couple.

He had seen several couples this evening sneak discreet kisses among the flowers. It was a travesty he couldn’t do the same, right here at the koi pond with all the twinkling lights. He sent, instead, the idea to Venom. A soft but thorough kiss. A caress of Venom’s head, down his spindly tendrils. Affection.

**Want.** Venom whined.

“Me too.”

Venom bubbled back down in a clear thinking pose. Eddie reached out and touched one of the flowers blooming nearest to him. It smelled sweet, but Eddie couldn’t see its name in the dim lighting. It was very pretty.

**Outside gardens.** Venom pushed him to look left at the side door for this wing of the conservatory. During the day when they had come it had lead to the outside gardens.

“I’m pretty sure we’re supposed to stay inside for the night show.”

Venom inside him performed the equivalent of an eye roll. **We can do whatever we want, Eddie. Come on! For the date!**

That was hard to argue with. Venom was sliding him very tender feelings of promised kisses.

Eddie sighed fondly and got up. There was a bin nearby for drink cups, so he tossed his and then edged close to the side door. There were a handful of people in the room, but the lighting was dim and shifting, and none of them looked like employees.

Quickly Eddie opened the door and escaped into the night.

Lights had been strung through parts of the outside garden, but it was still significantly darker outside. And emptier. No one was supposed to be out here, so they were alone.

Venom manifested a hand in his and drew him further down the path. **Come, we know the place.**

Venom took them down through the roses, a varies of ferns, and into the thickest part of the garden. Here it was more tropical with tall trees and vines to shade the more sensitive plants. There was some light occasionally along the path, but mostly they walked through the dark of it.

Eddie figured it out a second before they came upon the small outdoor pool. It wasn’t a koi pond, but it did host a variety of lilies and frogs. A small manmade waterfall kept the water moving. Most importantly it was private, concealed away from prying eyes.

Venom sat him down on the stone ledge that ran around the pond and then manifested themselves more completely. Their head and arms appeared, difficult to see against all the night.

**Do not need to see.**

“Oh?” Eddie grinned, already pulling Venom in for a hungry kiss.

Venom purred into his chest, wrapping tentacles around Eddie the way they did in bed. It wasn’t arousing, but rather, a comforting security. It felt like an embrace of a lover. Like the way they wound down moments before sleep, tucked around each other.

They kissed slowly, Venom slipping his tongue into Eddie’s mouth with a skill learned from a great many make out sessions. It warmed Eddie against the cool night air, caused him to grasp tightly at Venom’s form and pull in.

The sound of water was a distant white noise behind the sound of their kissing. It was hard to rate kisses, every single one felt unique and important between them, but this one Eddie knew he would remember.

It was toothy and wet in the only way that Venom could be, but the flush of feelings wound around them were so heady and delicious it hardly mattered. Venom leaned him back to recline on the stone, using the position to tilt Eddie’s chin up and kiss him deeper.

It was _amazing._

**Love Eddie. Mine. Ours. Delicious.**

That last one was in reference to the taste of chocolate and fruit still left in the corners of Eddie’s mouth. Eddie blushed and smiled into the kiss. He sent Venom a syrup-sweet declaration of love in return, while scritching at the back of Venom’s head.

They kissed for a long time in the garden, everything else fading away except the slide of their tongues, the careful nips shared between them. It was addicting, how much they both wanted this. How much they loved being together like this.

Eddie was a little turned on with how involved the making out had gotten, but he felt no urgency to do anything with it. He could tell Venom felt the same. It was nice to be like this, warm and floaty without the need to push it further. Like a long, slow burn.

**We should do more of this.** Venom said when the kissing began to slow, and they pulled back. Eddie could see just the glow of their eyes and teeth in the dark. Eddie outlined each with his fingers, in no hurry to get up and resume the rest of their night.

“We will.”

**How often do couples go on dates?**

A clawed hand found his and wove them together. Eddie squeezed, and Venom did the same in return. “I don’t know. However much they want.”

**Hmmm.** Venom tightened around him in a full body squeeze that Eddie recognized as a hug. **Can we plan the next date?**

A grin cut into Eddie’s face, and he pulled their joined hands up to his mouth so he could kiss Venom. His darling was just so _sweet._ “Of course.”

**A surprise!**

Eddie pressed his lips to each of the manifested knuckles. “Whatever you want, love.”

**Good. Will be the best date.**

Venom could probably take him to a junkyard and run around eating rats and Eddie would still think it the most charming date. He was just all the way gone with this one. Anne had it right with those meaningful looks. To pretend it was anything else was just folly.

Per usual, Eddie was just the last one to the obvious answer.

“I bet it will be.”

Venom curled up onto his chest as they laid beside the pond. Above, Eddie could just barely see pinpricks of stars between the trees. He felt warm despite the breeze that drifted ever so often through the trees.

Venom kept their hands wrapped together even when he sunk back into Eddie’s chest. They laid out in the garden a while longer, passing tiny feelings of love back and forth. Eddie had never been so happy, had never been so excited for whatever came next.

 

**Author's Note:**

> The Conservatory of Flowers actually exists and has a Night Bloom event. I don't live anywhere near SanFran, so the actual experience may vary, but the photos looked amazing!
> 
> Thanks for all your sweet and lovely comments, they continue to feed my obsession with this romance.


End file.
